Northwards Episode 3 Recap, Plot

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Seven years ago, the Beijing-Shanghai Expressway, spanning the Yellow River and crossing the Yangtze River, was fully opened to traffic. Since then, it has greatly promoted the economic development of the surrounding regions and even the entire country. Cars on the road have been running faster and faster, while the number of boats on the river has dwindled. The sense of honor and achievement among boatmen has gradually faded, business has declined, and profits have shrunk.

Although canal shipping seems to be moving forward alongside this fast-paced world, in reality, it is heading in the opposite direction. Nowadays, Shao Xingchi’s culinary skills have become increasingly refined, and he has won over his courtyard friends with just a bowl of eel noodles. While everyone was gathered around the table enjoying their meal, Ma Siyi was still feeling sorrowful over the man who had committed suicide by jumping into the river.

Xie Wanghe and the others, however, disapproved of such an act of desperation, believing that a man should take responsibility and withstand any hardship, even if the sky were to collapse. Xia Fenghua dismissed them as self-righteous and joined in playful banter. After the meal, as usual, they rode their bicycles to school together but parted ways as they attended two different high schools due to their academic performance.

The outstanding students, Ma Siyi and Chen Rui, studied at First High School, which was filled with top achievers. In contrast, the others attended Seventh High School across the street, known for its mediocre grades and lack of discipline. The four of them escorted Ma Siyi to her school, where they ran into Sun Sanliang. Just like before, Sun Sanliang was mischievous but not malicious—he simply wanted to be friends with Ma Siyi.

However, Xia Fenghua always stood in his way, chasing him off each time. As the senior year approached its end, the principal stood on the podium, encouraging the students to study hard and change their destinies. But the students below remained indifferent and scattered, in stark contrast to the disciplined and unified chants of First High School’s students, highlighting the stark difference between the two schools.

During class, Xie Wanghe was caught daydreaming by the teacher but remained unfazed and even argued back with Teacher Xu. He believed that getting into college was not the only way to change one’s fate. If success was solely based on rote memorization, then why were successful people still a minority? Using his sharp wit, Xie Wanghe swiftly outlined a career plan for Teacher Xu—how he could make extra money without affecting his primary job—by running a cram school.

Seeing the bewildered expressions of Teacher Xu and his classmates, Xie Wanghe confidently explained the profitability of cram schools, painting a grand vision of its immense business potential. His economic insight stunned everyone in the room. Eager to test the numbers, Teacher Xu grabbed a brush and started doing calculations on the blackboard. Thanks to the amusing back-and-forth between Xia Fenghua and Xie Wanghe, they exaggerated Teacher Xu’s future wealth to the point of making him feel like a billionaire.

After school, Sun Sanliang blocked Xie Wanghe and the others, claiming that Xia Fenghua had ruined his shoes. However, the moment he spotted Xia Fenghua emerging from the school building, he panicked and fled on his bicycle. Meanwhile, Xia Fenghua was eager to make money so she could attend an idol’s concert, fantasizing about spending extravagantly. But her daydream was suddenly interrupted by the sound of her parents arguing.

Times were changing, and canal shipping was no longer as prosperous as before. Every family was struggling financially. It turned out that Xia Maotian’s family had repeatedly borrowed money. In the past, when their financial situation was stable, Li Yan had tolerated her mother-in-law’s favoritism toward sons over daughters, silently giving money whenever asked. But now, things were different, and her grievances erupted.

Xia Maotian was left speechless by his wife’s outburst, while Xia Fenghua stood at the doorway in silence. Similarly, Xie Tiancheng, once a proud ship owner, had fallen into decline. Seeing that Sun Sanliang’s father had become a wealthy businessman, he felt a deep sense of disparity.

The Sun family still owed the Xie family money, but since Xie Tiancheng’s business depended entirely on Old Sun, he never dared to bring up the debt, which frustrated Liang Haihong and led to a heated argument between her and her husband. Feeling restless, Xie Wanghe went up to the rooftop, where he encountered Xia Fenghua, who was also troubled by her family’s financial struggles. Sitting side by side, they shared their dreams for the future.

Meanwhile, Shao Bingyi’s writing topics were falling out of sync with the times, leading to frequent rejections from publishing houses. His son, Shao Xingchi, suggested he try writing tomb-raiding novels like "Ghost Blows Out the Light", but Shao Bingyi, holding onto his literary pride, stubbornly refused to write what he deemed to be lowbrow content.

Luo Zhimei, unable to bear having her acting career stifled and spending her days as a housewife, vented all her frustrations on her husband and decided to go to Hengdian to pursue her career. Feeling helpless, Zhou Haikuo also went up to the rooftop, only to find the other four already there. The five of them sat together, talking about life after graduation, gradually dispelling the burdens weighing down their small courtyard.

That night, after parting ways with her friends, Ma Siyi returned home, only to find her long-lost mother crying to her grandmother, explaining why she had sent Ma Siyi away years ago. Back then, after marrying her second husband, Old Ge, she had accidentally caught him peeping at Ma Siyi while she was bathing. Fearing for her daughter’s safety, she had no choice but to send her to Grandmother Ma.

Now, Old Ge had gone bankrupt, and there was no money left for their child’s school fees. Ma Siyi’s mother had come specifically to borrow money from her mother-in-law, hoping to head south and start anew. Meanwhile, in class, Ma Siyi and Chen Rui were caught passing notes in Morse code. After school, Ma Siyi ran into her mother, who was hiding in the corner, and tearfully asked how much debt she owed.

Wanting to help Ma Siyi resolve her financial troubles, Xie Wanghe and the others devised a plan to steal diesel at night. When Xia Fenghua found out, she insisted on joining them.

Episode 2 Recap

Episode 4 Recap

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